Digital quantum simulations of scattering in quantum field theories using W states

High-energy particle collisions can convert energy into matter through the inelastic production of new particles. Quantum computers provide a natural platform for simulating the resulting out-of-equilibrium dynamics that are difficult for classical computing methods. In this talk, I will present results from simulations of scattering in 1D Ising field theory performed on 104 qubits of IBM’s quantum processors. We show that measurements of the energy-density skewness in the post-collision state serve as a clear diagnostic for the presence of an inelastically produced particle. Integral to these simulations is a new, efficient method for wavepacket preparation that builds on recent advances in W-state initialization using mid-circuit measurement and feedforward. I will also discuss progress toward extending these simulations to two dimensions, which would open a new regime of field-theoretic dynamics beyond the reach of classical computation.